The most common way to play the National Lottery is to fill in a playslip and hand it to a retailer who will feed it into their terminal and produce a ticket for the draws that you wish to enter.

To fill in a playslip you should mark 6 number boxes with a BOLD vertical mark in either blue/black ink or pencil (do not use red ink) in each board that you wish to play.

If you make a mistake fill in the 'Void' box with a BOLD vertical mark and the terminal will then ignore that board. Do NOT rub out (if using pencil) and NEVER use tip-ex on a playslip - this could damage a terminal and prevent you from entering the National Lottery draw.

If you want to receive random numbers then mark, with a BOLD vertical mark, the 'Lucky Dip' box on an EMPTY board (do not mark Lucky Dip on a board with picked numbers as the terminal will reject this). If you only want Lucky Dip then there is no need to fill in a playslip - simply ask the retailer for the number of Lucky Dips you want and for which draw(s). They will then enter this in the terminal and produce a ticket for you.

Which Draw?

DON'T forget to mark 'Which Draw' to tell the terminal which draw you want your numbers entered into (not marking any of the draw boxes causes unnecessary delays at the terminal - if you want to enter both draws mark both, if you want to enter only one mark the relevant box, if you want to change the draw you have marked fill out a new playslip).

Should you wish to play the same numbers for more than one consecutive draw then mark the 'No. of Weeks' box for the number you wish to enter. (eg: £2 for Wednesday only for 3 weeks - mark wednesday and 3 - this will cost a total of £6 (£2 x 3 weeks). £2 for Both draws for 3 weeks - mark both and 3 - this will cost a total of £12 (£2 x 2 draws per week x 3 weeks)).

The playslip allows you to play upto 16 consecutive draws, if you wish to play more than this then Camelot runs a subscription service which allows you to play upto 104 consecutive draws. If you are interested in this then phone the National Lottery Subscription Service on 0645 125000 (local rates apply) and you will be sent an application form. You can give subscriptions as a gift (to UK residents) and they can be paid for by UK Cheque or Direct Debit (direct debit can not be used for gifts).

It can be fun to play the National Lottery in a syndicate where you all pay an equal amount each week and all win an equal share of any prizes you may receive. This can increase your chances of winning.

If you are planning on running a syndicate there are some simple rules that you should follow before starting to play as a group. Firstly you should decide who is going to be in the syndicate along with the amount that each will pay and the percentage of any winnings each will receive. It is important to appoint a syndicate manager, you may also with to appoint a deputy for when the syndicate manager is on holiday. The manager (or deputy in the managers absence) will be responsible for running the syndicate. This includes the collection of payment each week from the members, the purchase of the tickets and the division of any winnings. It is vital that the manager (and deputy) are trusted by all members.
As any prizes are only payable to a single person (normally the syndicate manager) it is vital that the syndicate have a written agreement before playing as a group in order to avoid Inheritance Tax on the winnings given to each other member. (Note: this is Camelot's understanding of Inland Revenue practise as of November 1994).
The agreement should include the following:

The date the agreement was drawn up.

The names of the group members.

The managers (and deputy's) names.

How the numbers will be selected.

How much each memeber will pay per draw and what percentage of any winnings each will receive.

What happens if a member fails to pay their contribution at any time.

Should the group have a big win, how the members will decide on publicity.

The agreement should be signed and dated by each memeber and should be witnessed by a professional.
If the group changes you should draw up a new agreement and terminate the old one.
A copy of the agreement should be given to each member and the original kept in a safe place.

You can not play the National Lottery unless you are personally in the United Kingdom and purchase a ticket yourself from a National Lottery Retailer.

Sites on the Internet, or any other places selling Lottery tickets (excluding official retailers) which claim to run 'syndicates' for non-UK residents are not allowed by Camelot and they are 'not liable to make payments of any prize on tickets which it knows or suspects has been resold or otherwise transferred by way of trade'.

If you do not live in the UK the only way which you can legally purchase a ticket is if you personally purchase one whilst on holiday in the UK.